Motor-vehicle steering-gear



D. C. WILLIAMS. MOTOR VEHICLE STEERING fiEAfi APPLICAHON FILED APR. 16, I920. 1,366,991. Patented Feb. 921.

1 EIMB/ D C. WILLIAMS. MOTOR VEHICLE STEERING GEAR.

APPLICA'IION FILED APR. 16, 1920. 1,366,991, Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

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Be it known that 1 DAVID C. WILLIAMs,

5 and State of new and useful Improvement 1n Motor-Ve- UN lTED STATES" 'IDAITID G. WILLIAMS, 0]! ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB T0 RUSSELL'L PAT NT OFFICE.

' BALLOU, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Arlington in the county of ,MlddlBSBX Massachusetts, have invented a hicle Steering-Gears, of is a specification.

Myinvention'relates to means for conwhich the following verting rotary motion into oscillatory motion, and, although obviously for broader application, will be described'in connection with-the Steering gear o'fa motor vehicle..

The object of my invention is to provlde a simple and eiiicient device' whereby rotary motion may .be converted into oscillatory;

motion with a minimum of friction and back-lash by means of a rotatably and an oscillatably mounted member between WlllOh a true line contact is maintained at all times.

With this end in view'my invention comprises as. its essential features a rotatably mounted driving member having a circular transverse section and a longitudinal sec- 1 .25 tion bounded by the intesecting arcs of two circles of equal radius, that is to say, said driving member is a solid of revolution formed by rotating a circular are about its chord; a driven member actuated by s'ald driving member and mounted for oscillation about an axis normal to a merid an plane of i said driving member and passlng through the center ofthat one of the aforesaid arcs in said plane which is the more remote from 85 said axis; and a connecting member carried by, and preferably i'evolubly mounted 1n,

' said drivenmemberandcooperating with a spiral cam-groove cut'into-the exterior surface of said driving member. The splral 40 groove and connecting member are preferablyso designed that the lines formed by the, intersection ofthe meridian plane of said driving member, which 1s normal to the axisof said driven member, with the walls of that vportion of said groove on the surface of the driving member, which is the more remote from said axis, and the lines formed by.

the intersection of said meridian planewith the working surface of sa d connecting member, are all coincident with radii of the are formed by the intersection of said meridian plane withsuch surface of said driving member which is the more remote'from said axis. In such case a true rolling line--' It contact is maintained at all times between Specification of Letters Patent.

Application and April 16,

MOTOR-VEHICLE STEERING-GEAR.

Patented, Feb. 1, 1921. 1920 sum No. a74,aes

the connecting and driven members. .However, good results may be obtained even when the connecting and driven members are 'in' frictional or slipping line-contact, such as would result from making the .walls of the groove parallel instead of converging and the connecting member cylindrical instead of conical. In such case, as before, the axis of the connecting member will pass through the axis of the driven member and make an angle of ninety degrees therewith.

lit it will'be understood that the construction therein shown may be widely variedwithout departing from the scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view illustrating the preferred embodiment/of my improvement. Fig. 2 is an end view. Figs. 3 and 4 Mercspectivelyl a side view and a plan view'show' ing the application of my invention. to an automobile steering gear. 1 a

In the particularv drawings selected for more fully disclosing my inventidn 1 represents a solid of revolution formed "by rotatinstance the arc is shown at 2 and the chord about which it is rotated to form said solid is coincident with the axis of the steering bar 13. A transverse section of said solid ing an are about its chord. In the present,

of revolution is, of course, a circle as shownv in Fig. 2. A meridian section of said solid of revolution will be'bounded by the identi- @cal arcs 2 and 3. The center of the are 2 in a meridian plane normal to the axle 4: is 'coincident with the axis of said axle.

The member 1 is provided with a spiral.

groove 5' and preferably the lines formed by the intersection, of the meridianplam'a of said member, which is normal to said axis, with the walls of that portion of the groove on the' surface of said'member which is the more remote from said axis .are coincident mote from said axis. r

with radii of the arc formedby the intersection of said meridian plane withthe sur-a' face of said member which is the more re- Straddling the member 1, which is the driving member, is a yoke 6, which constitutes the drivenmembenjand the upper ends thereof are connected by the cross bar 7 .7 Depending from said cross bar and preferably' mounted rotatably and adjustably therein is the roller 8 which formsthe connecting member between the driving memher 1 and the driven member 6. In the present instance the roller 8 is mounted in the cross bar 7 by the pin 9 which 'is held in ad justed position by the nut 10 and lock nut 11.

'The axle 4 is rigidly attached to the yoke 6, and for this purpose the said axle has flattened end portions 4 which pass through correspondin 'ly shaped apertures in the yoke. Rigidly attached to said axlelis the .s'hifting rod 12 which in the present instance is arranged on one of the-flattened end portions 4" ofthe axle. The outer ends of the axle are journaled in the bearings 4" suitabiy attached to a fixed suppo f a meridian plane is passed through the member 1 normal to the axle 4 and through the roller 8, the lines formed by the intersection of said plane with the walls of that portion of the groove on the surface of the driving member which is the more remote from the axis of the axle4 and the lines formed by the intersection of said plane with the peripheral surface of the roller 8 all converge to a point on the center of the i axle 4.- In such case a true rolling line-contact is maintained at all times between the 'tional contact "with the roller 8 and its coiiperative groove. However, I do not limit myself-to this construction inasmuch as the roller may be in fricdriving member 1, as where the Walls. of the groove are parallel instead of converging and the roller 8 is cylindrical instead of conical; L

Rigidly attached to'the driving member l'isthe steering rod 13 to which the wheel in suitable bearings 15, 15;

14 is attached, saidlcolun'm being supported Aswill be obvious the rotation of the driving member 1 will result in the oscillation of the yoke 6 about its axis and also in the oscillation of, the shifting'rod'12vabout the same 1 axis. The motion of said shifting rod may be communicated to the steering knuckles 16 which'are connected by the drag link 17 tion' 19.

in any suitable manner. In the present instance .I show a rod 18'. pivotally connected .to'the steering knuckles and attached to the shifting. rod by the and slot connec.-

Having thus described an illustrative em-' into oscillatory ent ofmy invention without however limiting the same thereto, what I claim'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:.

1. Means for converting rotary motion motion comprising a rotatably mounted driving member having a circular transverse section and a longitudinal-section bounded by the interseetingfares of two circles of equal radius, the surface of said driving member being provided with a spiral groove, a driven membermountcd for oscillation about an axis normal to a meridian plane of said driving member and passing through the center of that one of the aforesaid arcs in said plane which is the more remote from said axis, and a connecting member carried by said driven member and cooperating with said spiral groove, said spiral groove and connecting member being so designed that the lines formed by the intersection of the meridian plane of said driving member which is normal to the axis of said driven member with the walls of that portion of said spiral groove on the surface of said driving member which is the more remote from said axis and the lines formed by the intersection of said meridian plane with the working surface of said connecting member areall co-incident with the radii of the are formed by the intersection of said meridian plane with such surface of said driving member which is the more remote from said axis.

2. Means for converting rotary motion into oscillatory motion comprising a rotatably mounted driving member. having a circular transverse section and a longitudinal section bounded by the intersecting arcsof two circles of equal radius, the surface of said driving member being provided -'with a spiral groove, a driven member mounted for oscillation about an axis normal 'to a meridian plane of said drivin member and passing through the center 0 that one of the aforesaid arcs in said plane which is the more remote from said axis, and a connecting member rotatably mounted in said driven member and 006 rating with said spiral groove, said spiraf groove and connecting member be' so designed that the lines formed by the intersection of themeridian plane of said driving member 'which is normal to the axis of said driven member with the walls of that portion of i said spiral groove -on the surface of said driving member which is the more remote from said axis and the lines formed by the intersection of said meridian plane with the working surface of said connecting member are all coincident with the radii of the are ridian plane of said driving member and ,necting member being so designed that the lines formed by the intersection of the meridian plane of said driving memberwhich is normal to the axis of said driven member with the walls of that port on of said spiral groove on the surface of said driving member which is themore remote from said axis and the lines formed by the intersection of said meridian plane with the work ing surface ofsaid connecting member are all coincident with the. radii of the are formed by the intersection of said meridian plane with such surface of said driving member which is the more remote from said 8X18." J o 4, Means for converting rotary motion into oscillatory motion comprising a rotatably mounted driving member having a circular transverse section and a longitudi nal section bounded by theintersecting arcs of two circles of equal radius, the surface aspiral groove, :a driven member mounted 'ofsaid. driving member being provided with.

for oscillation about an axis normal to a meridian" plane of said driving member and passing through the center of that one of the aforesaid arcs in said vplane whichis the more remote from said axis, and a on necting member rotatably and adjustably. mounted in said driven member and cooperating with said spiral, groove, said spiral groove and connectlng member being so designedithat the lines formed by the intersection of the meridian plane of said drivmember which is normal to the axis of sald driven member with the wallsof that portion of said spiral "groove on the'surface of said driving member which is the more remote from said axis and the lines formed by the intersection of said meridian plane with the working surface of said'connecting member are'all coincident with the radii of the arc formed bytheintersection of said meridian plane with such surface of said driving member which is the more remote from said axis. a

In testimony whereof 'I have hereunto subscribed my name. 

